GRIPA Connect™ Clinical Integration

GRIPA Connect™ Clinical Integration is only the second such program in the country to receive a favorable advisory opinion from the Federal Trade Commission. This provides a “green light” for GRIPA to continue implementation of the program in the Rochester region, with confidence that we are complying with federal antitrust laws. It also establishes GRIPA as a national leader in the movement toward a progressive business model for independent and community-based physicians.

Read more about the FTC Advisory Opinion.

Check out the national press coverage of the FTC Advisory Opinion.

Defining Clinical Integration

Clinical Integration delivers higher quality patient care by creating a connected community of physicians, hospitals, labs, pharmacies and imaging facilities with:

• electronic access to complete patient information,
• support from patient care managers, and
• assistance to fulfill a commitment to evidence-based clinical care.
  
  

Better care that’s easier and more efficient to deliver, recognized by the community and insurers, and leading to better reimbursement to physicians for providing a better product. That’s the overarching benefit of Clinical Integration.

Clinical Integration, in our view, is the most viable alternative for physicians who wish to continue working together as insurers shift away from managed care and risk-based contracts. The other legally allowed options—so-called “messenger arrangements” and individual contracting between physicians and payors—fail to address the need for quality assurance and improvement. Read more about the benefits of Clinical Integration.

Creating a connected community

Planning for Greater Rochester’s GRIPA Connect Clinical Integration began in 2004, when we first saw glimmers that the current market cycle, which had culminated in managed care and risk-based contracts, was coming to a close.

IT infrastructure

By 2006, we had built the basic infrastructure of a web portal providing access to a central data repository, and begun to import data from a number of sources—labs, imaging facilities, hospitals, etc. This allows for seamless sharing of relevant patient data, curtails redundant lab test and image orders, eases the referral management process, and reduces the paperwork burden for physician offices. Physicians are now using the portal. Read more about our Web Portal.

Contracts

Following many meetings with GRIPA members and stakeholders, we created a new participation contract for physicians. As of July 2008, over 450 physicians have enrolled in the GRIPA Connect Clinical Integration program. Detailed information about the contracts is posted on the GRIPA Connect web site.

It’s not too late to sign your Clinical Integration contract. Contact Provider Relations at 585.922.1525.

Clinical Guidelines

Clinical Guidelines are an essential component of Clinical Integration. Thus far, we have completed development of many such guidelines, for conditions such as acute low back pain, osteoporosis, and congestive heart failure. These guidelines have been developed by physicians, for physicians, and with full sensitivity to local standards of care and best practices.

Our Clinical Guidelines are currently accessible on the GRIPA Connect Web Portal. Through specially designed analytics capability, we will compare patient data to measures related to Clinical Guidelines to automatically generate patient-specific reminders and prompts during office visits. This feature became available to our providers during the second half of 2008. Read more about Clinical Guidelines.

Care management

Care management is another important component of Clinical Integration. Fortunately for GRIPA physicians, this has long been a benefit of membership. We expect to continue and expand these services. Read more about our Care Management Services.

Portal training

We provide free training in use of the GRIPA Connect portal for you and your staff. To set an appointment, contact Provider Relations  at 585.922.1525.